A Guide to HD Video Cameras

HD video cameras are a great way to record your family movies
in the highest quality possible. High Definition recording is becoming
more popular as a result of HD TVs becoming much more common. By
recording your videos in HD, it is possible to capture much more detail.
There are many different HD camcorders available, which is why you will
need to give some consideration to them.

By comparing the different HD video cameras available, it should be
much easier to choose the right camera. This will ensure that you don't
end up spending too much money for your camera, and also that it has
plenty of features. Although HD video cameras are much more common than
they used to be, they are still more expensive than standard cameras.

Brands

Most camera brands produce a number of different HD cameras. This
means that you should be able to choose your favorite camera brand.
Popular HD video camera brands include Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, JVC,
Sony and Canon.

Formats

HD Cameras can record on a number of different formats. It's
important that you choose the right format so that you are comfortable
with it and so that it's cheap to upgrade in the future.

SD Cards

You might be familiar with SD cards being used with digital cameras.
Thanks to ever increasing sizes, they are also being used in digital
video cameras. This is normally an option with cheaper HD video cameras.
In order to make them useful, you will need to use a very large memory
card.

Hard Drive

Hard drives are a great way to store High Definition footage because
they are so large. Although it's not possible to add extra storage
easily with most hard drive based camcorders, they are normally big
enough for most peoples needs. This also means that you don't need to
worry about discs, tapes or small memory cards. If you need to download
the footage to your computer, then you will need to connect it to your
computer or TV.

Batteries

Most video cameras use rechargeable batteries. This means that you
don't need to worry about buying expensive replacement batteries. Choose
a camera which uses Lithium ion batteries and comes with a charger.

You might also want to purchase a spare battery which can be used to
extend the life of your video camera and shoot for as long as possible.

Price

Although HD video cameras are fairly new, it's still possible to find
them cheaply. Cheap HD cameras aren't necessarily bad, but bear in mind
that cameras which record onto SD card will have memory restrictions
which will limit the amount of recordings your camera can capture.

Features

Many digital cameras also have advanced features that you will need
to compare. Although you might not be that bothered about the features
right now, you might be interested in them in the future.

Picture Effects

Various special effects such as antique, sepia and black and white
can be applied to your video. These effects are very easy to use,
although they might not be that useful.

Zoom

Most cameras support optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom actually
moves the lens to make a far away object look closer. Digital zoom uses
camera software to make the image look bigger.